the Condition of our own Minds, the lefs Impreffion will the Characters and Reports of Men make upon us. For God feeth not as Men fee; they obferve the Face and outward Appearance, but he fearcheth and understands the Heart. They look upon the Action, and form a Judgment from thence; He fees our Intentions, and condemns or acquits us according to our Honesty and Sincerity, or corrupt Inclinations and wicked Defigns. And therefore a Modest Humble Man makes it his conftant Care to be doing Good, and to think meanly of his own Performances. He feeks, nay he feels no great Matter of Comfort, from any of the Advantages which attend Well-doing in this World but confiders whom he serves, and for whose fake he does it, and chearfully relies upon him alone, for the Praise and Reward of that which beft deferves it. And when we are not anxiously concerned for the Teftimony and Credit of Men, then may we truly be faid to have refigned our felves to God, and to depend upon Him, with that stedfast and holy Confidence which becomes us. Not be that commendeth him2 Cor. x. 18. felf (no, nor he whom others commend neither) is approved, but whom the Lord commendetb. And therefore a Holy and Spiritual Man indeed lays afide, as much as may be, all Concern with the World. He confiders that God is the only Person whom he fhould labour to please; and while he is happy in his Approbation, and the Witness of a good Confcience, all outward Accidents are confidered, as Things remote, and foreign to his main Design; and fuch as ought not much to affect him.

CHAP.

B

CHA P. VII.

Of Loving Jefus above all things.

Leffed is that Man indeed, who feels and relishes the Love of Jefus; who finds the Sweet of this Love, and can even defpife and hate himself for his Saviour's fake. For, tho' the Love of our felves be the very Voice of Reafon and Nature, yet the fame Voice commands us too, to quit a lefs valuable Friend for a better. And this Exchange he hath made neceffary to our Obedience, who requires us, to Love him only, above all Things. And He alone is worthy of our Love. For the Objects of this World, which are too apt to engage our Affections, are uncertain and deceitful; but Chrift is Faithful and Eternal, and will not fail to return and reward our Love. He that depends: upon any Temporal Comfort, will one. Day be convinc'd of its Frailty to his Coft, when He and it both perish together; but Jefus remaineth for ever. And as he cannot perish himself, fo neither will he fuffer any to perish, who depend upon him. Let him then be your Hope, your Joy, your Love, whofe Friendship. and whofe Power are everlafting. Tho' all Things forfake you, yet will not He; nay, all things else will certainly forfake you, but even then He will be All, and more than all the World to you.

Living and dying then, keep close and ftedfaft to Him, for he in Life and Death will be to you Advantage. But then his Friendship and conftant Protection depends upon this Condition, That you admit no Rival into Competition with him. He will not accept divided Affections, but expects to reign fupreme and fole Lord of your Hearts; and the only way of inviting Him thither, is to caft out all other Inmates, and let Him have the whole Houfe to himself. And indeed, when

we

we come to confider and compute Matters juftly, whatever Love or Regard we have allowed to any thing but Him, will be found in a manner perfectly loft and thrown away. Do not therefore indulge a Paffion, which can turn to no Account. Lean not upon a broken Reed, which will not only let thee fall, but pierce thy Arm too. And fuch a Reed is Mortal Man, For all Flesh is Grafs, and all the 1 Pet. i. 24. Glory thereof flourifbeth as a Flower of the Field; The Grafs withereth, and the Flower fadeth; And they who are enamour'd with its Beauty, find how poor and tranfitory, how empty and deceitful a Good they fet their Hearts upon. Where-ever elfe we expect Comfort, our Hopes are foon blafted, or wretchedly disappointed: But when our Thoughts and Wishes center in Jefus, we are fure to find what we look for, fure to obtain all that we did, more than we could, expect. Think not to find Satisfaction in thy felf: for the better you understand your felf, the lefs Cause you will find to love your felf; and the more you indulge this Love, the greater and more certain will be your Ruin. Seek then thy Lord and only Saviour; for he who hath Chrift, poffeffes all Things: And he who neglects him does himself more Mischief than all the Enemies, nay, all this World, and all the Powers of Hell, could ever bring upon him.

С НА Р.

CHAP.

VIII.

Of Intimate Converfation, and Friendship with

Whil

John xi.

JESUS.

Hile Jefus is prefent by his Grace and Comfort, nothing is hard to do, nothing grievous to fuf fer; but Happiness and perfect Peace dwell and reign in my Breaft. But the Moment he withdraws his chearing Prefence, all my Supports are loft and gone, all my Faculties difabled, and every Difficulty infuperable, every Crofs infupportable. The Confolations of this World make no Impreffion, nor give any folid Joy, while he continues filent; but let him fpeak one fingle Word of Comfort to the Soul, and fhe is gay in the midst of Diftreffes. Thus Mary rofe immediately, and dried up her Tears, upon the News of his Approach, and the firft Call of her dear Mafter. And happy fure was fhe, happy is every Mortal in this Vale of Tears, whom Jefus calls. For whom he calls and commands to come to him, he calls from Grief and Mourning to true Joy. How flat and infipid, how harsh and unpleasant is all we are, and all we have, without this Heavenly Comforter? How empty and deluding all thofe Wishes and Defires, which are placed upon any other Object? They bid us infinitely to our Lofs. A Lofs greater and more irretrievable, than if we loft the whole World. For cou'd we gain the whole World with the Lofs of Him, it were a foolish and most miferable Exchange. And what indeed is all the World without him? To be deprived of this one Friend, is bitterer than Death: To enjoy and poffefs him, the only Happiness of Life. His Friendfhip is Security fufficient against a whole World of Enemies: A Treafure above all the Riches of the Universe. He who finds this, hath more than both

the

the Indies; and he who lofes it, lofes more than can be exprefs'd. But why do I fay more? He lofes all For this is Poverty indeed, this the only Poverty, to lofe the only true Riches.

So all-fufficient, fo delightful, fo heavenly fweet, is the Friendship and Company of Jefus. But But every Man is not qualify'd for fo precious a Bleffing, for it requires great Care, and Skill, and Wisdom, to be fit for this Enjoyment. Humility and Charity muft make and keep him ours. Piety and Peace are the Difpofitions he delights in. Sin, and Paffion, and Worldly Affections, will drive him away. And if he take his Flight, where, wretched Man, where wilt thou find a Friend? Without a Friend thou canst not live in Comfort; and if he be not thy only Friend, thou art left defolate and forlorn. Confider then, how miferable thou makeft thy felf, by placing thy Confidence, or thy Joy, in any other. For better were it far, that the whole World fhould bend their utmost Spight against thee, than this one Friend be provoked to Displeasure. If therefore Relations and Acquaintance be dear, yet let none be fo, comparably to thy God and Saviour. Remember, they are dear for his Sake, but he for his own. For this is the peculiar Prerogative of Chrift, that Enemies as well as Friends fhould challenge a fhare in thy Affections upon His Account. Thou art to forgive and love, to pity and pray for all Mankind, because be loves them all; and it ought to be the earnest Defire of our Hearts, that all may know, and be sensible of his Love, and make fome fuitable Returns for fuch wonderful Goodnefs. But neither we nor any other Perfon have a Right to be loved for our own felves; for the Foundation of Love is Excellence and Goodnefs; and this is all from God. In him alone it dwells originally, inherently, independently; and what Proportion foever any Creature hath, is entirely derived from him, the Emanation of that univerfal and